Wittenberger HerzBräu since 2009

With the installation of the show brewery in November 2009, Wittenberge could again, after a gap of close to 20 years, claim its own beer. In the little brewery, three favourite sorts of amber nectar are produced and, only here, served from the barrel: a mild, tangy Pils, a full-bodied Special, and a Stout containing high levels of a special malt and with a strong hoppy aroma. All three beers have an original gravity of about 12% to 14%, and an alcoholic strength of about 5%. Our show brewery takes the form of a two-vessel brewhouse, which can be viewed from a guest room. These are a copper mash tun and brew kettle together with the lauter tun. The metallic vessels nearby are used for the fermentation process. The lagering tanks are sited in the cellar.

With its brewing, Genesis AG is following a long Elbe-side-town tradition.

Local historian, Hans-Joachim Eichel, has been able to find evidence of beer brewing in Wittenberge dating back to at least 1567. Back then and in the centuries that followed, the people of Wittenberge preferred to drink beer and spirits rather than wine. This was almost certainly the case, as these could be brewed or distilled at home.

In the companies section of the first Wittenberge address book from 1884 there are four breweries and a beer wholesaler listed, and in 1932 six were registered. As this point in time, all of these brewers were not locally owned. A truly Wittenberge brewery was finally established in 1945 after the end of World War II, as the “Actien-Brauerie Neustadt-Magdeburg” which in turn became nationalised and was named “VEB Brauerei Wittenberge” during the Cold War period.

In the Alte Ölmuhle brewery, all beers are produced in accordance with German regulations relating to brewing, and use no additives and only four pure ingredients; namely, hops, malt, water and yeast.

Since HerzBräu is not filtered, all vital substances and vitimins from the barley malt, hops and yeast remain in the beer. In moderation, unfiltered beer is good for your health. This fact was known for years; but now it has been proved through research.